Safety and Security

The Kingdom of Thailand continue to attract thousands of tourists and new residents from around the world, all drawn to its diverse landscapes, world-famous cuisine, and ancient culture. Although tourists and residents of Thailand can enjoy relative calm and safety throughout their time in the Kingdom, it’s important to be aware of the current realities facing Thailand.

Political Situation in Thailand

The government structure of Thailand is known as a Constitutional Monarchy, currently under King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who ascended the throne in December 2016 following the October 2016 passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Since 2005, Thailand has experienced many instances of political turmoil which include a military coup d’état in 2006 that resulted in the removal of then-Prime Minister Thaksin Chinawat, followed by anti-government protests and conflicts between competing political factions for several years. In August 2014, Royal Thai Army General Prayut Chan-ocha was appointed Prime Minister, following another coup d’état a few months before.

Today, the political situation in most of Thailand is relatively calm, with the new constitution having been signed in April 2017. However, the Southern region of the country continues to experience unrest and violence due to ethnic and nationalist insurgents. Officials continue to advise tourists and residents to exercise caution when traveling to these areas, and to always stay informed of the current political climate.

Thailand has a healthy and fairly consistent system of information and journalism, where the most current political events and realities are covered both in English and Thai. One such outlet is the Bangkok Post.

Safety in Thailand: Road Travel

Traveling within Thailand is relatively simple with buses, trains, planes, and boats making it possible to reach nearly all areas of the country rather easily. Within the city of Bangkok taxis, motorcycles, cars, and an extensive subway system connects the entire city. For those who choose to drive in Thailand, there are some important points to consider regarding the laws and regulations that govern driving in Thailand. The website Driving in Thailand provides comprehensive information on the rules, regulations, and expectations that come along with driving in Thailand.

COVID-19 Situation in Thailand

WHO - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

Stay aware of the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak, available on the WHO website and through your national and local public health authority. Most countries around the world have seen cases of COVID-19 and many are experiencing outbreaks. Authorities in China and some other countries have succeeded in slowing their outbreaks. However, the situation is unpredictable so check regularly for the latest news.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.

You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:
 

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
• Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and others. Why? When someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person has the disease.
• Avoid going to crowded places. Why? Where people come together in crowds, you are more likely to come into close contact with someone that has COVID-19 and it is more difficult to maintain physical distance of 1 metre (3 feet).
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and infect you.
• Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash your hands. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene, you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.
• Stay home and self-isolate even with minor symptoms such as cough, headache, mild fever, until you recover. Have someone bring you supplies. If you need to leave your house, wear a mask to avoid infecting others. Why? Avoiding contact with others will protect them from possible COVID-19 and other viruses.
• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention, but call by telephone in advance if possible and follow the directions of your local health authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.
• Keep up to date on the latest information from trusted sources, such as WHO or your local and national health authorities. Why? Local and national authorities are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports from WHO :

Novel Coronavirus outbreak Situation latest updated on 15 January 2021

• International Situation
  • As of 15 January 2021, there were a total of 93,158,547 confirmed cases and 1,995,806 COVID-19 deaths. The 5 countries with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases include: the United States, India, Brazil, Russia, United Kingdom

 

• The Disease Situation in Thailand latest updated on 15 January 2021

Department of Disease Control advises people be careful of diarrhea, suggesting the principle of “eat freshly-cooked and clean food": Diarrhea is a contagious disease caused by eating food and water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals. During the winter, low temperatures will contribute to the growth of the virus. Easy to contact and spread quickly, such as in drinking water and ice. The most common pathogens are rotavirus and noro virus, which often cause disease in young children. Causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, low fever, fatigue, nausea and vomiting due to the virus. The virus causes the intestinal mucosa decreased nutrient absorption. People with dehydration will have severe symptoms such as dry lips, decreased urine, hollow eyes, etc. It is a dangerous sign in infants and young children, it can cause shock, unconsciousness and even life-threatening. Parents should take care of the food of young children closely. 
 

Information on Current Infectious Disease Situation

Thailand situation : MOPH updated on 15 Jan 2021

The best first aid for diarrhea is drinking Oral Rehydration Salts(ORS) solution to prevent dehydration. The Department of Disease Control advises people to always follow good personal hygiene, i.e. “eat freshly-cooked and clean food, use serving spoon and wash hands often”, and drink only safe water. All individuals should avoid consuming foods that are left overnight out of refrigeration or foods with unusual smell. Food handlers should practice good personal hygiene including washing hands often especially before cooking food and after using toilets. Paying attention to food cleanliness will help prevent pathogen contamination. In case of having wounds on hands, food handlers should always wear plastic gloves while cooking.
 

Global concerns situation: WHO updated on 18 Nov 2020

• Ebola :Summary of Ebola Situation latest updated on 18 Nov 2020
  • From 1 June to 18 November 2020, a total of 130 EVD cases including 119 confirmed. There were 55 deaths recorded (overall proportion of deaths among reported cases was 42%)
• MERS-CoV :Summary of MERS Situation latest updated on 2 July 2020
  • Between 1 April and 31 May 2020, the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported nine new cases of MERS-CoV infection. The cases were reported from Riyadh (seven cases), Assir (one case) and Northern (one case) Regions.  
  • From 9 through 13 January 2020, the National IHR Focal Point of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) notified WHO of 2 laboratory-confirmed case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.The patient owns a camel farm located in Al Ain City, Abu Dhabi region in UAE.
  • On 18 February 2020, the National IHR Focal Point for Qatar reported 1 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) infection to WHO. There are family relative and living in Doha, Qatar.
  • Since 2012 until 31 May 2020, the total number of laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV infection cases reported globally to WHO is 2,562 with 881 associated deaths.

Infection Control Department has updated weekly the information about national and international contagious to relevant department by referring from World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Disease Control Ministry of Public Health. The purpose is for the information to department involved as follows. 


National & International Contagious Disease Updated  Week 2, 2021 : 9 - 15 January, 2021 with the following details :

1. Global situation (Ref: World Health Organization)

Disease	Province Concern
MERS-CoV	Saudi Arabia  : (Update 2 July 2020)   Riyadh , Assir and Northern The United Arab Emirates: (Update 13 Jan 2020)   Abu Dhabi Qatar (Update 18 Feb 2020)
Ebola Virus Disease	Democratic Republic of the Congo : (Update 18 Nov 2020)
Measles	Democratic Republic of the Congo : (Update 6 May 2020) Maxico (Update 21 April 2020)
Dengue fever	France   (Update 23 April 2020) Chile (Update 7 Feb 20)
Yellow fever	France   (Update 1 Aug 2020) Gabon ( Update 17 Jun 2020)  Ethiopia  ( Update 3 Mar 2020) Sudan ( Update 3 Mar 2020)
Chikungunya	Democratic Republic of the Congo (Update 1 May 19)
Avian Influenza	Nepal (H5N1) Chinese Taipei (H5N2) (Update 27 Jun 19  no new case of Human Infection)
Plague	Democratic Republic of the Congo : (Update 23 July 2020)
Cholera	Togo( Update 4 Jan 2021)

2. National Situation (Ref: Department of Disease Control Ministry of Public Health)
 

Diarrhea	Reported case  From 1 - 12 Jan, 2021: 3747 cases.  Top 5 Province Sri Sa Ket Mukdahan Ubon Ratchathani Phrae Phayao
Pneumonia	Reported case  From 1 - 12 Jan, 2021: 1219 cases.   Top 5 Province Sri Sa Ket Ubon Ratchathani                       Phayao Prachuap Khiri Khan Krabi
Influenza A (H1N1, H3N2)	Reported case  From 1-10 Jan 2021 : 200 cases.   Top 5 Province Ubon Ratchathani Krabi Phitsanulok Phrae Uttaradit
Hand foot mouth	Reported case  From 1-10 Jan 2021 : 253 cases.   Top 5 Provinces  Phayao Phrae Mukdahan Prachuap Khiri Khan Loei
Dengue	Reported case  From 1-10 Jan 2021 : 18 cases.   Top 5 Province Krabi Prachuap Khiri Khan Mae Hong Son Ubon Ratchathani                       Phetchaburi
Chikungunya	Reported case  From 1-10 Jan 2021 : 3 cases.   Top 5 Province Sri Sa Ket Bangkok

 

Entry Requirements

Prior to confirming your appointment at Bumrungrad International Hospital, you should consider the entry requirements of Thailand. You may need to get vaccinated or apply for a visa in order to enter the Kingdom of Thailand. 

Health and Vaccinations

As with traveling to most other countries, health authorities advise all travelers to always make sure that they’re up to date on all their vaccinations before the trip. Every traveler needs to be up to date on their routine vaccinations, which are: thediphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, the chickenpox vaccine, the polio vaccine, the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and your regular flu vaccine.

Additionally, please see the table below for more specific vaccine recommendations that may apply to specific people before entering Thailand.

For more information please visit wwwnc.cdc.gov

Vaccine	Who Needs It?	Why?
Measles	All travelers: Infants 6 to 11 months old traveling internationally should get 1 dose of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine before travel. This dose does not count as part of the routine childhood vaccination series.
Routine vaccines	All travelers	There is a risk of contamination through food or water.
Malaria	Most travelers	CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Thailand take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take. Find country-specific information about malaria.
Hepatitis A	Most travelers: Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Thailand. Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series. Travelers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given. Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.	There is a high risk of contamination through food or water.
Typhoid	Most travelers: Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.	There is a risk of contamination through food or water.
Cholera	Some travelers: There is no longer active cholera transmission and vaccine is not recommended.	There is a risk for contamination through food or water, especially in areas where there is an active transmission.
Hepatitis B	Some travelers: Recommended for unvaccinated travelers of all ages to Thailand.	Hepatitis B is transmitted through sexual contact, as well as through contaminated needles and other blood products.
Japanese Encephalitis	Some travelers: Recommended for travelers who are moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live spend long periods of time, such as a month or more, in areas with Japanese encephalitis frequently travel to areas with Japanese encephalitis consider vaccination for travelers spending less than a month in areas with Japanese encephalitis but will be doing activities that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas, hiking or camping, or staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets going to areas with Japanese encephalitis who are uncertain of their activities or how long they will be there not recommended for travelers planning short-term travel to urban areas or travel to areas with no clear Japanese encephalitis season.	There have been reports of transmissions in Northern Thailand, as well as the coastal areas of Southern Thailand.
Rabies	Some travelers: Rabid dogs are commonly found in Thailand. However, if you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in Thailand, rabies treatment is often available. Consider rabies vaccination before your trip if your activities mean you will be around dogs or wildlife.Travelers more likely to encounter rabid animals include campers, adventure travelers, or cave explorers (spelunkers) veterinarians, animal handlers, field biologists, or laboratory workers handling animal specimens visitors to rural areas since children are more likely to be bitten or scratched by a dog or other animals, consider rabies vaccination for children traveling to Thailand.	Although rabies is not a major risk in Thailand, it can be found in some animals, especially street dogs and cats.
Yellow Fever	Some travelers: Required if traveling from a country with risk of YF virus transmission and ≥9 months of age, including transit >12 hours in an airport located in a country with risk of YF virus transmission.1	There is no risk of yellow fever contamination in Thailand. However, the government of Thailand requires proof of vaccination against yellow fever from all travelers who are coming from countries that have a risk of contamination. To determine if you are one of these travelers, please see this list from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Malaria: When traveling in Thailand, you should avoid mosquito bites to prevent malaria. You may need to take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria, depending on your travel plans, such as where you are going, when you are traveling, and if you are spending a lot of time outdoors or sleeping outside. Talk to your doctor about how you can prevent malaria while traveling. Areas of Thailand with risk of malaria: Primarily in provinces that border Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, and Laos and the provinces of Kalasin, Krabi (Plai Phraya district), Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga (including Phang Nga City), Rayong, Sakon Nakhon, Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Yala, especially the rural forest and forest fringe areas of these provinces. Rare to few cases in other parts of Thailand, including other parts of Krabi Province and the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and Phuket.

None in the islands of Krabi Province (Koh Phi Phi, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Yao Yai, and Ko Lanta) and Pattaya City. See more detailed information about malaria in Thailand.

Immigration and Customs

The entry requirements to enter Thailand may vary depending on your country of origin. Latest rules on visa exemption to enter the Kingdom of Thailand which effective from now until 30 September 2021, passport holders of the following countries/territory may enter for tourism purposes with a period of stay up to 45 days, without requiring a visa.

List of country see below.

Andora	Hong Kong	Malaysia	San Marino
Australia	Hungary	Maldives	Singapore
Bahrain	Iceland	Mauritius	Slovakia
Belgium	Indonesia	Monaco	Slovenia
Brazil	Ireland	The Netherlands	Spain
Brunei Darussalam	Israel	New Zealand	South Africa
Canada	Italy	Norway	Sweden
Czech Republic	Japan	Oman	Switzerland
Denmark	Korea (ROK)	Peru	Turkey
Estonia	Kuwait	The Philippines	Ukraine
Finland	Latvia	Poland	UAE
France	Liechtenstein	Luxembourg	UK
Germany	Lithuania	Portugal	USA
Greece	Luxembourg	Qatar	Vietnam

For visa on Arrival scheme is further suspended until 31 March 2021.
For other country please contact Thai Embassy near your location for applying visa to enter the kingdom of Thailand.

***Please note that all foreign travelers entering into the Kingdom of Thailand must obtain:

1. Certificate of Entry (COE)
2. Fit to Fly health certificate issued no more than 72 hours before departure.
3. Medical Certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected, using RT-PCR test, issued no more than 72 hours before departure.
4. Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) booking confirmation for 14 days.
5. Medical and travel insurance with a minimum of 1,000,000 USD coverage, including but not limited to COVID-19 treatment throughout the stay in Thailand.
6. Other required documents needed prior to arrival.

For more information please visit  www.thaiembassy.org

Thai Custom: Guidelines for Airport Passengers click here

Travel Advice and Support

Once you’ve decided to travel to Bangkok, you may want to learn more about Thailand and how you can make the most out of your trip. The best place to start your research would be the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s website, which covers a wide range of topics such as:

• General information about Thailand  

• General information about Bangkok 

• What to expect from Thailand’s weather 

• Frequently asked questions about traveling in Thailand 

• Restrictions on narcotics and psychotropic substances in Thailand. 

Travel Checklist

Once your appointment at Bumrungrad International Hospital has been confirmed, our medical travel team will send you a packet of important information you need to know before traveling. To help you better prepare your medical travel itinerary, please take a look at this travel checklist.
 

Section I: Traveling by Air

In general, if you have the below conditions; it is prohibited to travel by air

• Have passed 36 weeks of pregnancy (or 32 weeks if you are carrying twins, triplets, etc.).
• Have a recent heart attack or stroke. Or any type of surgery, especially stomach, brain, eye, orthopedic (bone and joint) surgery including stomach, eye, or head injury. Please check with your doctor to see when it is safe for you to travel.
• Have an implanted cardiac device such as pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD); please check with your doctor before travelling by air. Don’t forget to carry your personal device identification card with you at all times.
• Have flu-like symptoms with or without tuberculosis like symptoms such as prolonged cough, weight loss, night sweat, fatigue, fever, and chest pain for more than 2 weeks. We strongly advise you to not travel at this stage, and for them to continue treatment with their current care team until his symptoms have resolved completely.
• Are suffering from the below signs and symptoms, please check with your doctor to see when it is safe for you to travel.
  • Chest pain.
  • Any disease that you can easily spread to other people.
  • Severe sinus, ear, or nose infections.
  • Breathlessness at rest, difficult breathing.
  • Psychotic illness except when fully controlled.
  • A fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or greater.
  • Skin rash
  • Confusion
  • Bruising or bleeding (without previous injury)
  • Diarrhea that does not go away.
  • Vomiting that does not go away (other than motion sickness).

During the flight:

• Keep all of your medications in your hand luggage.
• Drink plenty of water to help prevent hydration and to help loosen your sputum and allow you to keep your chest clear from low humidity levels in air cabin.
• During a long-distance flight of 4 hours or longer (Also see https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/travel.html , deep vein thrombosis can occur as a result of this inactivity; make sure you get up and walk about regularly when permitted by the staff on the aircraft. Bend and stretch your legs and wiggle your feet at regular intervals (for example every 30 minutes) to encourage your circulation.
  • If you have a higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, your doctor can help you work out what measures you may need to take prior to flying. This may include graduated compression stockings, aspirin, or anticoagulants.
• If you will need oxygen during the flight, this must be requested in advance. A Medical Information Form, stating your current clinical condition and the reason for oxygen requirement, must be filled out and submitted to the airlines. It may take 3-5 working days to process and subjected to the airlines approval.

 

Section II: Pre-operative Preparation

• Please inform your doctor before the surgery if you have an existing medical condition for which you are taking medication and/or you have undergone any previous surgeries.
• If you are taking anticoagulants like aspirin, Persantin^®, Ticlid^®, Plavix^®, warfarin, Orfarin^®, heparin, and Fraxiparine^®, herbal supplements, and vitamins, especially vitamin E, stop these medications/supplements at least one week before the surgery or as recommended by your doctor.
• If you smoke and drink alcohol regularly, please stop for at least one week before the surgery to reduce the chances of complications.
• If you have any underlying diseases: cardiovascular disease / diabetes / high blood pressure / asthma / cancer / or others including any allergic to any medications and any medicines you are taking, current treatment and correlating diagnosis, please inform physician in advance.

What do I need to prepare for my medical travel? 

1. Check if your passport is valid and if you need a visa to travel to the destination country. 

2. Decide how you will finance your medical payment, such as cash or credit card, and make sure additional cash in the local currency. Call your bank or card insurer to forewarn them that you may process a large payment abroad. This is to prevent banks from treating the transaction as suspicious and blocking your account. 

3. Ensure that you have contact information to your clinic, transport provider and patient assistant. 

4. Inform your employer about your absence at work due to medical travel. 

5. Check the weather forecast for Bangkok and prepare yourself. 

6. Arrange assistance at home when you are abroad. 

7. Check if it is necessary for you to get certain vaccinations. 

8. Remember to make your appointment at the clinic and pay the reservation fee if needed. Double check the dates. 

9. Purchase appropriate flight tickets. Make sure someone will pick you up from the airport. 

10. Remove any nail polish as the color of your nail plate may help indicate your health condition. 

What should I take with me?

1. Mobile phone with a charger
2. Personal documents such as ID card, passport and visa
3. Credit/debit card and some additional cash in the correct local currency.
4. Medical records, including current diagnosis, films (X-ray, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound), biopsy results and your contact information.
5. Daily medication, if any, in original packaging; any type of information regarding any chronic diseases that you may have.
6. Items for leisure and entertainment purposes during your medical travel; for instance, books, magazines and music players 
7. Comfortable pajamas and bathrobe if your medical procedure requires overnight stays; for instance, it is recommended that you wear shorts instead of long trousers if you have a knee surgery scheduled; for a shoulder operation, you may consider bringing a zip-up blazer
8. Comfortable undergarments and socks
9. Shoes to walk around the clinic – if you are undergoing plastic or another upper-body surgery, then you may take slippers. In the case of the orthopedic procedure, please bear in mind that you need some more stable footwear trainers.
10. A basic set of toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, comb, sanitary napkins, shaving kit, hair band, lip balm and face wash
11. Towels
12. A set of clothes for your physiotherapy and rehabilitation, if it is required after surgery; this may include tracksuit and a pair of sneakers
13. Largely depends on the purpose of your medical travel, you may consider visiting sightseeing destinations; if that is the case, bring casual clothes and comfortable shoes; however, if you may undergo procedures that affect mobility, such as a hip replacement, you should consider bringing comfortable loose trousers, blazer and elastic shorts.
14. Sleep essentials such as earplugs, pajamas and your favorite small pillow

Political status

COUNTRY RISK ASSESSMENT

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Country Risk

See the country risk analysis provided by Coface.




 

Traffic Status

Live Traffic Click Here

 

 

Information on Current International Infectious Disease Situation

This information is put together for you by the Infection Control Department at Bumrungrad International Hospital in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand. Click Here

MOPH

For more information click here

Weather Status

Live Weather Click here

Patient's Rights

We can provide better medical care when you and your family work together as partners with our staff. While it is our responsibility to advise you of your rights as a patient; you also have responsibilities in your treatment and care. We urge you to ask questions, cooperate, and be proactive in the medical care plan. If you have questions or concerns, please discuss with any staff member or manager.

While you are in our hospital, you have certain rights as a patient: 

1. Patients have fundamental rights to get medical care from healthcare professionals without discrimination as stated in the constitution.
2. Patients have the rights to receive truthful and adequate information about the illness, investigation, treatment, as well as benefits and risks from healthcare professionals in an appropriate language before making a decision to consent except in a case of emergency and life-threatening conditions.
3. Patients with life-threatening conditions have the rights to receive immediate medical attention from healthcare professionals without the need to request for help.
4. Patients have the rights to know name and profession of the responsible healthcare providers.
5. Patients have the rights to ask for an opinion of another healthcare professionals and have the rights to request for a change to other healthcare professionals or medical facility that comply with the terms and conditions of respective health insurance.
6. Patients have the rights to confidentiality of medical information except when a consent is provided or when the information is required by healthcare professionals to provide direct medical benefits. 
7. Patients have the rights to be completely informed before making a decision to participate in human subject research. 
8. Patients have the rights to make a request for information in their medical record that comply with hospital rules and regulations as long as the request does not violate the rights of others. 
9. A parent or legal guardian may exercise the rights on behalf of the patient who is under 18 years old or physically or mentally incompetent.

If You have Questions, Concerns, or Comments

Please contact us in one of the following channels:

1. Tell our staff directly (attending nurse or doctor)
2. Write your comments on a patient feedback card and give it to one of our staff or put it in one of the suggestion box located throughout the hospital
3.  Call our Contact Center (dial “00” for internal hospital line or 0-2066-8888 from outside)
4. Send us an e-mail to: [email protected] 

Patient’s Responsibilities

1. Patients are responsible for asking for information and potential risks before signing an informed consent for diagnostic or treatment procedure.
2. Patients are responsible for providing truthful and complete health and other information to the responsible healthcare professionals.
3. Patients are responsible for cooperating and following healthcare professionals’ recommendations about medical care and should notify when the compliance may not be possible. 
4. Patients are responsible for cooperating and complying with the following hospital’s rules and regulations:
   1. Patients are responsible for providing complete and correct information for reimbursement from an insurance company as soon as possible after receiving an invoice from the hospital.
   2. Patients are responsible for providing a copy of advance directive, living will, and written decision of preferred treatment options.
   3. Patients are responsible for the medical appointments or inform the hospital if rescheduling is needed.
   4. Patients are responsible for direct cooperation with hospital management representatives to resolve a complaint.
   5. Patients are responsible for bringing only personal items essential for the hospital stay but not valuables.
   6. Patients are responsible for not leaving the hospital facility without a permission from the doctor or nurse to ensure patient safety.
   7. Patients are responsible for receiving medical and nursing care only from the hospital but not by other persons or by themselves except when instructed by the hospital to do so.
5. Patients are responsible for treating healthcare professionals, other patients, and visitors with courtesy and respect.
6. Patients are responsible for informing about health insurance benefit with proper documentation to the hospital.
7. Patients are responsible for being aware of the following facts:
   1. Healthcare professionals who perform standard and ethical practice are protected by law and have the rights to be protected from unfair accuse.
   2. Medical care refers to a current medical practice that is based on scientific evidence to show higher benefits than risks to the patient.
   3. Medical care cannot diagnose, prevent, or treat all diseases or condition.
   4. Any medical care can result in unexpected consequences despite the fact that the healthcare professional have been extremely careful in any situation.
   5. Any test for disease screening, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring might have inaccurate result because of technological limitation and other uncontrollable by current standards.
   6. Healthcare professionals have the rights to choose an evidence-based medical treatment option in a given context and limitations as well as to consult or refer the patient as appropriate.
   7. Healthcare professionals may consult or refer the patient who are not in an emergency or life-threatening condition.
   8. Medical care provided by healthcare professionals might be compromised if necessary health information is not disclosed by the patient.
   9. Emergency room is only for patients who are in emergency and life-threatening condition.

Any act of physical violence, verbal threats or intimidation towards the hospital staff will not be tolerated. Anyone, who uses violence against hospital staff, is prosecuted and may be banned from using hospital services.

ETHICS CONSULTATION

Our Hospital’s Ethics Committee is available to consult with patients and families who face ethical issues or questions regarding their care choices. To arrange for a consultation please call the Hospital’s Contact Center by pressing “00” on your telephone from inside the hospital or 0-2066-8888 from outside and tell the representative you’d like to speak with a member of the Ethics Committee.